Windmill



Feb. l], 1930. v H. TERHORST v ,7

WINDMILL Filed March 16, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet l 7 INVENTQR I ffiIEI EY 725505571 BY I A TTORNE Y Feb. 11, 1930. v HTERHQRST 1,746,620

WINDMILL Filed March 16, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

' A TTORNEY.

Stars 'a'ra'r HARVEY TERI-IORST, OF DONIIYBROOK, NORTH DAKOTA.

WINDMILL Application filed March 16, 1927. Serial No. 175,70'Y.

This invention relates to windmills of the toinatic reefing mechanism so designed as to type described in my prior Patent No.1,558 offer increased resistance to the reefing ac- 645, issued October 27, 1925. tion immediately prior to reaching the full A general aim of the present invention reefed position, Where automatic locking oc is to improve the construction and operation curs, so as to prevent the operation of the 55 of Windmills of the type mentioned. locking mechanism except in cases of exces- The Windmill described in said prior patsive wind velocities.

ent includes a number of small vanes or sail Another object is the provision in a windsections which. may be readily swung into mill of the character. mentioned of improved reefed position or into full wind position and pump operating mechanism. 60 so arranged that in the latter position they Other objectsand advantages will appear combine to form relatively large and efficient from the following description of an illustrasail areas. One object of the present inventive embodiment of the present invention. tion is the provision of means for effecting In the drawings i 1 the accurate positioning of the vanes or sail Figure 1 is a fragmentary sectional View 65 sections when in full Wind position. This I of a windmill constructed in accordance with accomplish by arranging the coacting. sail the present invention. sections in overlapping relation whereby Fig- 2 is a fragmentary rear elevation of each reacts to provide a positive stop for the windmill wheel and reei'ingmechanism. the other when in full Wind position. When Fig. 3 is a view in elevation, on a larger 79 so arranged each large sail area formed by scale, of a portion of the reefing mechanism coacting sections is actually unbroken and shown in Figures 1 and 2 showing the relathe efliciency thereof correspondingly intion of the parts thereof in reefed position. creased. Fig. 4.- is a sectional View taken substantial- Another object is the provision of imly along the line 44: of Figure 1.

proved means for rockably supporting the Fig. Sisadetail in section. individual sail sections in such manner as to 6 is a sectional view taken substantialavoid piercing the same or otherwise interly along-the line 66 of'l igure 1. fering with the natural flow of air over the Fig. 7 is a sectional View taken substantialface thereof. ly along the line '4 of Figure 1. 89

Another object is the provision of im- The windmill selected for illustration comproved means for taking up slack in the prises a main casting 10 having a base 11 ro- WVllEfll structure to thereby provide a more tatably seated upon an appropriate head rigid structure free from rattle. casting 12, fixed in the top of the usuai tower Another object is the provision of im- 18, and a horizontal extension 14 having a proved reefing mechanism capable of both longitudinal opening 15 for receiving a shaft manual and automatic operation and so de- 16. The shaft 16 is journaled in appropriate signed as to permit free action of the autobearings 17, Within the opposite ends of the natic control without disturbing the manual extension 14, and constitutes a suppor for a V control. windmill wheel preferably such as wil be 90 Another object is theprovision of means hereinafter described. The base 11 is'holfor automatically locking the sails in reefed lowed out to receive a centering element in position in response to excessive wheel vethe form of a pipe 18 which extends downlocities. i wardly through the head casting 12 with Another object is the provision of a novel which it is rotatably associated. In this in combination and arrangement of parts by stance the sides of base 11 are cut away as at which the manual control for the reefing 19 and 20, to receive appropriate clamp mechanism may be utilized to release the aupieces 21 and 22, Which are drawn into firm tomatic locking mechanism just mentioned. binding contact with the sides of the pipe 18 7 it Another object is the provision of an auby appropriate means such as screws 23. The

pipe 18 thus firmly anchored in the base 11 of the main casting constitutes a trunnion forming a swivel connection between the main casting and the head casting 12. An appropriate counterweight 24 is bolted or otherwise fixed to the base 11 of the main casting 10 and supported by appropriate guys 25, anchored at their upper ends in racket arms, one of which is shown at 26 projecting upwardly from the main casting.

The shaft 16 carries and drives a gear 27 housed within an appropriate gear box 28 removably fixed to the inner end of the main casting 10. Gear 27 meshes with a pinion 29, fixed to a countershaft 30, which carries a gear 31 meshing with a pinion 32 on the end of the armature shaft 33 of an electric generator 34, mounted upon the side of the gear box. Through this speed up gear train the slow speed windmill wheel drives the genera tor at an ellicient speed.

The slow speed gear 27 is also utilized to drive the usual pump rod through mechanism preferably such as will now be described. In the pump shown this mechanism comprises a bar 35 mounted for vertical reciprocation between spaced guides 36 carried by a bracket 37 projecting upwardly from the cover plate 38 of the gear box 28. An approiate shoe 39 carried by the lower end of the war 35 rides upon a crank pin 40 carried by the gear 27. A lever 41, pivotally connected intermediate its ends to the bar 35, is linked at one end 42 to a fixed bracket 43 and at its other end carries a pair of depending rods 44. Rods 44 pass downwardly through the main casting 10, at opposite sides of the longitudinal opening 15, and through the pipe 18 to a spht ring 45 to which they are attached. The ring 45 is guided for vertical reciprocation upon a pair of parallel bars 46 fixed to and depending from the end of the pipe 18. A flanged sleeve 47 swiveled in and supported by the ring 45 carries an arcuate tail piece 48 fixed to the upper end of the usual rectangular pump rod 49, guided for vertical reciprocation in a cross member 50 fixed within the tower 13. The arrangement is such-that vertical reciprocation imparted to the bar 35 by the crank pin 40 is transmitted through the lever 41 and rods 44 to the ring 45 and thence through the sleeve 47 to the pump rod. The wivel connection provided by the ring 45'and sleeve 47 permits the rods 44 to turn freely with the main casting 10 and pipe 18, while the pump rod 49 is retained against rotation by its engagement withinthe cross member 50.

It will be noted from an inspection of Figure 6 that the bar 35 is offset horizontally from the axis of the shaft 16 in order to effeet a more direct action between it and the pin 40. The gear 27 rotatesclockwise, as indicated by the arrow, and by arranging the bar 35 as shown, the upward thrust of the pin 40, during the upward or working stroke thereof, is more nearly coincident with the axis of reciprocation of the bar. It will also be noted that the lever 41 is angularly disposed with respect to the vertical plane of the shaft 16, the forward end of the lever being disposed directly above the shaft 16 and in alignment with the pump rod 49 whereas the rear end thereof is disposed laterally of the vertical plane of the shaft. By this arrangement the lever applies a direct axial pull to the pump rod and the lever is void of any tendency to twist about its own axis.

The windmill wheel shown comprises a hub 51, fixed to the shaft 16, and having a sleeve extension 52 surrounding and spaced from the outer end. 53 of the horizontal extension 14 of the main casting 10. A series of spokes 54 are anchored in the hub 51 and project radially therefrom, each spoke being braced by a pair of guy rods 55 and 56 fixed to an appropriate bracket 57 fixed thereto. The lower end of each rod 55 is fixed to the inner end of the sleeve extension 52, and the lower end of each rod 56 is fixed to a spider 58 fixed to the outer end of shaft 16. The several spokes 54 are interconnected by tie rods 59 and 59 anchored at their opposite ends in appropriate brackets60 and'60 fixed to the spokes. These tie rods also serve to support the sail sections or vanes 61 and 61 in a manner preferably as will now be described. A length of structural angle bar 62-62 is mounted lengthwise upon each tie rod 59-59 so as to swing about the axis thereof, each angle bar having an end cap 63 attached to each end thereof and perforated to receive a tie rod. Each angle bar 62-62 is confined between the brackets 60-60 of adjacent spokes 54, and in order to securely hold the several bars against end play a take-up bushing 64 is provided in the bracket adjacent one end of each bar. (See Fig. 5.) In this instance each bushing 64 is screwed into a split eye 65 of the bracket and, after being so adjusted as to take up all end play of the bar 62 upon the tie rod 59, it is firmly clamped by the bolt 66 connecting the split portions of the eye 65.

In the wheel shown each of the bars 62 and 62 carries a pair of sail sections or vanes 61 and 61 rigidly fixed thereto so as to swing therewith about the supporting tie rods 59 and 59. In this instance the vanes are disposed wholly in front of their supporting bars, the rear edge of each bearing against its supporting bar and fixed thereto by an appropriate strap 67-67, and the forward portion of each being braced by strips of metal 68-68 secured to the bar and to the rear face of the vane. The adjacent lower corners of the vanes of each pair are connected by a strip of metal 69-69, each strip 69-69 being connected to the supporting bar 62-62 through a bar 70-70. The opposite ends of each strip 69-69 are bent, as indicated, to bear against and extend transtionto each other.

land 2. During rotation of the windmill wheel all r verselyof the associated said sections, to

which they are riveted or otherwise firmly secured, to thereby stifien the individual sections and to hold them rigidly in proper rela- The vanes of each pair together with the bar 62-62 are thus rigidly united to swing as a unit about the supporting tie rod 5959. Each pair of vanes 61 are also connected to the adjacent pair of vanes 61 through an appropriate link 71, pivotally connected at its opposite ends to the bars and 7 O. The sail sections or vanes are arranged in two concentric circular series, the vanes 61 of the outer series being disposed to match with the vanes 61 of the inner series, so that, in the full wind position, shown in full lines in Figures 1 and 2, each vane 61 combines with an adjacent vane 61 to form a large sail area. Furthermore the lower end 72 of each vane 61 actually overlaps with the upper end 7 2 of the adjacent vane 61, so that the sail area formed by the two is continuous, and so that each forms a positive stop for limiting the swing of the other towardthe full wind position shown in full lines. All of the sail sections are yieldably' retained in this full wind position by mechanism preferably such as will now be described.

A spider 73 is loosely mountedupon the shaft 16 andconfined between a forward exsion 74 of the hub 51 and a retainer pin 74 in the shaft. A series of rods 7 5,.extending substantially tangentially from the spider, link the spider 73 to the several bars 7 O. A pair of tension springs 76, each connected through a link 77 with an appropriate lug 78, projecting outwardly from a spoke 78 of the spider 73, and through a link 79 with a spoke 5 1,tend at all times to rotate the spider 73 in a clockwise direction with respect to the wheel, and thus maintain the several rods under tension. The tension in the rods 75 thus yieldably retain the several vanes inthe fullline wind receiving position of Figures of the vanes tend to swing, by centrifugal force, outwardly around their supporting rods 5959 into positions paralleling the wind, as indicated in the dotted line full reefed position shown in Figures 1 and 2. The initial tension in the springs 76 is such however that the vanes are held in the full line position until the windmill wheel attains a predetermined speed. At speeds in excess of that predetermined speed the several vanes assume positions intermediate the full and dotted line positions, thereby reducing the eiibct'iveness of the sail areas and consequent ly preventing speeds greatly in excess of that predetermined speed at normal wind velocities. a

In Figure 2 the spider 7 3 is shown in full wind position and in Figure 3 it appears in full reefed position. It will be noted from these figures that the lines ofpull'ofthe springs 76 approach the center of the spider as the spider rotates from full wind position toward full reefed position, and that the effectiveness of the springs 76 is thusgradually reduced so as to compensate for the cor strikethe links 77 and thus offer a suddenly increased resistance to further rotation of the spider, so that an operating speed greatly in excess of the predetermined speed, heretofore mentioned, is required to actually turn the spider into full reefed position.

Provision is made in the windmill shown for automatically locking t-hevanesin full reefed position so that, in the event of an excessive wind, the wheel will be rendered wholly inactive and will offer a minimum resistance to the wind. This is accomplished in this instanceby the use of a pawl 81 pivotally mounted upon a stud 82 carried by a bracket 83 projecting from the hub 51 of the wheel. The pawl is held by a spring 84 in such position as to project into the path of a lug 85 projecting inwardly from a spoke 85 of the spider 73. The arrangement is such that as the spider 73 rotates counter-clockwise into the full'reefed position, shown in Figure 2, the pawl 81 engages with a shoulder 86 on the lug 85 and locks the spider in that position. Before this locked condition occurs however the lugs 80 have engaged the links 77 and thus offered a marked increased resistance to rotation of the spider, so that this locked condition never occurs except upon rotation of the windmill wheel at excessive speeds. The method of releasing this lock mechanism will be hereinafter described.

Provision is also made for reefing the windmill at the will of the attendant. Means for this purpose include a double segmental drum 87 loosely mounted upon the end of the hub extension 74:. A cable 88 connected with each drum segment passes over a pulley 88', carried by bracket 83 projecting from the hub 51. Both cables 88 are connected to a swivel ring 89, disposed within the sleeve extension 52 of the hub, through eye bolts 90 or the like projecting through appropriates slots 91 in the sleeve extension. The ring 89 is mounted for rotation upon a non-rotating collar 92,1nounted for travel lengthwise of the extension'l of the casting 10. The ring 89 is driven by and rotates with the hub. The collar 92 is actuated and controlled by a cable 93, passing over a pulley 94 carried in the main casting 10, and thence downwardly through the pipe 18 and sleeve 47 past a pulley95 in the cross member in the tower 13 toan operating lever (not shown) within convenient reach of the attendant. One of the drum segments 87 is formed with an integral web 96 arranged to strike a lug 97, projecting inwardly from one of the spokes 78 of the spider 73, when the drum is rotated counter-clockwise with rect to the spider 73. The spider 73 may t us be rotated from the full wind position, shown in Figure 2, to the full reefed position, shown in Figure 3, by rotating the drum 87 in a counter-clockwise osition with respect to the windmill wheel. otation of the drum 87 counter-clockwise is effected by a pull upon the cable 93, causing the collar 92 and ring 89 to shift toward the left (Fig. 1), this motion being transmitted through the cables 88 to the drum. With the drum in the fullwind position, shown in Figure 2 however, the spider 73 is free to rotate independently of the drum between the full wind and full reefed positions as governed by the s eed of the wheel.

The drum 87 is also uti ized as a means for releasing the automatic locking mechanism hereinabove described. To this end it is provided with a pin 98 projecting forwardly therefrom and adapted to coact with a trip element 99 rockably supported upon the stud 82 hereinabove mentioned. The trip element is yieldably connected with the pawl 81 through a spring 100 and is formed with a tail 101 projecting downwardly into the path of the pin 98. The arrangement is such that when the spider 73 has been locked in the full reefed position by engagement of the pawl 81 against the lug 85, the pawl 81 may be released by rotating the drum 7 8 counter-clockwise in the manner hereinabove described from the position shown in Figure 2. The drum is thus rotated until the pin 98 strikes the tail 101 of the trip element 99 and rocks the same clockwise to thereby tension the spring 100 and until the web strikes the lug 97 011 the spider 73 to thereby rotate the spider sufficiently to relieve the pressure between the pawl 81 and shoulder 86. Upon releasing this pressure the tension in spring 100 lifts the pawl 81 clear of the shoulder 86 and the locking mechanism is released, so that, uponreleasing the tension in cable 93 and cables 88, the spider 73 and drum are free to return, under the action of springs 76, to the positions shown in Figure 2. The sail sections are thus permitted to return to the full wind position shown in full lines in Figures 1 and-2.

Various changes may be made in the embodiment of the invention hereina'bove specifically described without departing from or sacrificingthe advantages of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim -1. Ina windmill wheel the combination of 'a hub, a series of spokes projecting radially therefrom, a' series of tie rodsconnecting said spokes, a bar rockably supported on each tie rod, a plurality of transversely curved vanes supported by each bar and 'disposed wholly in advance thereof, the rearward portion of each of said vanes being disposed adjacent said bar and the forward portion of each being spaced therefrom, means for securing the rear portion of each vane to its supporting bar, and. brace members extending from each bar to the forward portion of each vane carried thereby.

2. In a windmill wheel the combination of a hub, a series of spokes projecting radially therefrom, a series of tie rods connecting said spokes, a bar rockably supported upon each tie rod, a set of transversely curved vanes supported by said bar to rock therewith and disposed wholly in advance thereof, the rear portion of each vane being fixed to said bar, brace members projecting from said bar to the forward portion of each vane carried thereby, and a strap connecting the lower adjacent corners of the vanes of each set.

3. In a windmill wheel the combination of a hub, a series of spokes projecting radially therefrom, a bar rockably supported between each pair of spokes, said bar having angularly disposed sides, a set of transversely curved vanes supported by said bar to rock therewith and disposed wholly in advance thereof, the rear portion of each vane being fixed to said bar, brace members fixed to the angularly disposed sides of said bar and projecting therefrom to the forward portions of said vanes, said brace members being attached to said vanes, and a metal strap connecting the lower adjacent corners of the vanes of each set, said strap being bent to form portions bearing against and extending transversely of the faces of said vanes, said portions being fixed to said vanes to stiffen the same.

4. In a windmill the combination of awheel having a plurality of "anes rockably supported therein to swing into and out of wind receiving position, means responsive to the speed of said wheel for normally controlling the position of said vanes, and means automatically operable to lock said vanes out of wind receiving position. when the speed of said wheel exceeds a predetermined maxi mum.

5. In a windmill the combination of a wheel having a plurality of vanes rockably supported therein and influenced by rotation of the wheel to rock out of wind receiving position, resilient means yieldably maintaining said vanes in wind receiving position during normal rotating speeds, meansresponsive toexcessive rotating speeds for automatically locking said vanes out of wind receiving position, and means for effecting a marked increase in the resistance of said resilient means immediately prior to the action of said locking means.

6. In a windmill the combination of awheel having a plurality of vanes rockably supported therein and influenced by rotation of the wheel to rock out of'wind receiving position, a spider rotatable with and relative to said wheel, connections between said spider and vanes through which the rocking action of said vanes responds to relative rotation be tween said spider and wheel, resilient means acting on said spider to yieldably retain said vanes in wind receiving position, mechanism carried by said wheel and cooperating with said spider to automatically lock said vanes out of wind receiving position, and means on said spider engageable with said resilient means prior to the locking engagement of said mechanism to thereby increase the effectiveness of said resilient means.

7. In a windmill the combination of awhee'l having a plurality of vanes rockably supported therein and influenced by rotation of the wheel to rock out of wind receiving position, a spider rota-table with and relative to said wheel, connections between said spider and vanes through which the rocking action of said vanes responds to relative rotation be tween said spider and wheel, resilient means acting on said spider to yieldably retain said vanes in Wind receiving position, and mechanism carried by said wheel and cooperating with said spider to automatically lock said vanes out of wind receiving position.

8. In a windmill the combination of a wheel having a plurality of vanes rockably supported therein to swing into and out of wind receiving position, means responsive to the speed of said wheel for normally controlling the position of said vanes, means automatical- 1y operable to lock said vanes out of wind receiving position when the speed of said wheel exceeds a predetermined maximum, and means under the control of the attendant for releasing said locking means.

9. In a windmill the combination of a wheel having a plurality of vanes rockably support ed therein to swing into and out of wind receiving posltion, means responsive to the speed of said wheel for normally controlling the position of said vanes, means automatically operable to lock said vanes out of wind receiving position when the speed of said wheel exceeds a predetermined maximum, meansunder the control of the attendant for rocking said vanes out of wind receiving position and cooperable with said locking means to release the same.

10. In a windmill the combination of a wheel having a plurality of vanes rockably supported therein to swing into and. out of.

wind receiving position, means normally responsive to the speed of said Wheel for controlling said vanes, said means including an element rotatable with respect to said wheel, a second element rotatable with respect to said wheel normally disengaged from said a wind receiving position, said vanes being influenced out of receiving position by exces-, sive rotation of the wheel, an element connected with said vanes and rotatable-in 7 response to the rocking action thereof, resilient means acting on said element to yieldably retain said vanes in wind receiving position a second rotatable element normally disengaged from sald first named element, a cable passed upwardly along said vertical axis, and

operating connections between said cable and said second element to rotate the same into driving engagement with said first named element to thereby rotate the same and rock said vanes out of wind receiving position. 12. In a windmill the combination of a rotating wheel having a plurality of vanes rockably supported therein to swing toward and from wind receiving position in response to variations in wheelvelocity, a rotary. element rotatable with respect to the wheel to swing said vanes out of windreceiving position, and means under the control of the operator for rotating said element, said vanes being normally free to rock in response to variations in wheel velocity without disturbing the position of said element.

13. In a windmill the combination of .a rotating wheel having a plurality of vanes rockably. supported therein to swing toward and from wind receiving position, an element rotatable with respect to said wheel to swing said vanes out of wind receiving position, an actuating means rotatable with said wheel and movable axially thereof, and pul ley and cable connections between said means and element for rotating said element in response to axial movement of said means.

14. In a windmill the combination of a casting mounted for rotation about a vertical axis, a horizontal shaft journaled in said casting and intersecting said axis, a wind driven wheel fixed to said shaft for driving the same, a lever supported above said shaft and driven by said shaft, a pair of rods depending from and actuated by said lever,

said rods being disposed at opposite sides ofsaid shaft, and a pump rod driven by said rods.

15. In a windmill the combination of a casting mounted to swing about a vertical axis, a horizontal shaft journaled in said casting, a wind wheel for driving said shaft having a plurality of adjustable vanes, a lever supported above said casting and driven by said wheel, a pair of rods depending from and actuated by said lever, said rods being disposed at opposite sides of said shaft, a pump rod, a hollow swivel connection between said rods and pump rod for driving said pump rod and permitting rotation between said rods and pump rod, a cable passing loosely through said swivel connection, and means actuated by said cable for adjusting said vanes.

16. In a windmill the combination of a casting mounted to swing about a vertical axis, a horizontal shaft journaled therein and intersecting said axis, a wind driven wheel supported by said casting for driving said shaft, a crank pin driven by said shaft, a vertical bar driven by said crank pin, the axis of said bar being disposed laterally of said shaft, a lever driven by said bar, means depending from and actuated by said lever, said means being disposed adjacent said vertical axis, and a pump rod actuated by said means.

17. In a windmill the combination of a tower, a head mounted thereon for rotation about a vertical axis, an adjustable wind wheel supported by said head, ahollow member depending from said head and concentric with said axis, spaced guides depending from said member, a cross'head reciprocable along said guides, a ring swivelled in said crosshead, means carried b said head and actuated by said wheel or reciprocating said cross-head and ring, pump operating means connected with and driven by said ring, and flexible means passing upwardly through said ring and member for adjusting said wheel.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 14 day of March, 1927.

HARVEY TEE-HORST. 

